Now that the first cohort of the Agent Dev Academy has wrapped, we wanted to take a minute to reflect and understand how the experience was for the participants — both to improve for the next cohort and for potential participants to get an insight into what the program is really like.

We have a couple of goals with the Academy as a program. We believe that web3 is an incredible opportunity for devs to [future proof their careers and keep learning](https://www.autonolas.network/academy). Through our Academy, we help developers to build on [Autonolas’ unique stack](https://github.com/valory-xyz/open-autonomy). Our stack enables developers to build entirely new types of web3 apps which are powered by rich, autonomous off-chain components. Developers build valuable components in the Academy which will eventually run and create value on the live network. This begins to put a base of composable software in place that future developers can use and extend.

So, having said all that, let’s see what our Academy 1 members had to say about their experience.

#### Academy Cohort 1: The Participants’ Feedback

Ardian: extensive programming experience, including with some of the frameworks instructors co-created

![Ardian NFT-min-500.png](/uploads/Ardian_NFT_min_500_6dfe7c4f1d.png)

_A custom NFT we created to recognize Ardian’s contribution to the community_

In his post-grad interview, he told us:
> “I enjoyed that I got to deploy my Python skills. I’m not the most experienced Python developer but I was able to get a lot done. The Autonolas stack is right at the top of my list of cool stuff — even more than the other stuff I work on in Web 3. \[Valory\] has written such clean code. I _really_ enjoyed the Academy. I’m not just saying it — I learned an incredible amount.”

Simon & Marcel (Complexitas.io): economists with Python experience, experienced in multi-agent systems and interested in our stack’s novel application of them to crypto

![Simon NFT-min-500.png](/uploads/Simon_NFT_min_500_322f966b2d.png) ![Marcel NFT-min-500.png](/uploads/Marcel_NFT_min_500_594a04c585.png)

_Simon and Marcel’s custom NFTs, created to recognize their contributions to the community_

> **Simon:** “For us, basically \[multi-agent systems are\] the future of economic modeling, we see it as extremely high flexibility for agent-based systems to model any of the mainstream topics that are out there (in economics as a discipline), without assumptions that are inherent in existing models.
> 
> “We also see it as an interesting model for allowing theory to interact with the real world. The agents can bridge and test the theory by interacting with real markets.”

The collaborative aspect of the program worked well for them, too:

> **Simon:** “One of my fondest memories is of working with the team on conceptualization for structuring the rounds — this was great, coming from the economist’s backgrounds, this is how designing economic systems works and since we’re good at that, it made this portion of the project very fun to work on and also extremely valuable.”

Going into it, Simon & Marcel weren’t totally clear how their economics background would translate to the projects they worked on, but as the program progressed, they both got a lot out of it, and discovered a whole new way to put their expertise to use:

> **Marcel:** “If I were to go back, I would recommend this program to myself, even though it was somewhat unexpected. At the time, I think I would have thought ‘that sounds cool, but I don’t know if that’s something I’m capable of’ but it turned out to be a very good experience.”

We couldn’t be happier with this outcome. We think our tech stack is incredibly exciting and novel, there is really nothing out there like it. We felt sure that participants would see it the same way, and they do! It’s also great to know that participating in the program was a great source of learning for the cohort, as that was always a primary goal.

We are delighted with the progress that Academy 1 has made and are excited to [begin to share the results of what they have developed](https://twitter.com/autonolas/status/1494283997853233164?s=20&t=Ta2OnUWl899ru6SD-hY0Tg) (more to come on this on our Twitter soon).

Are you interested in multi-agent systems, working with Python and taking your web3 development skills to the next level? You should check out our new self-guided video course, the Autonolas Academy. The course is a self-paced learning experience, with the option, on completion, to apply for a more intensive, cohort-based Builder Track. The program is designed to teach you everything you need to know to develop your own apps and services using our framework. You can [get started with those materials here](https://www.autonolas.network/academy).

We also invite you to [join our Discord](https://bit.ly/33Zy1vj) — we’d love to have you in the community and are always glad to say hi answer any questions you have. We host Community Office Hours every first Friday in the Discord and we hope you’ll join us.


The participants’ experience, in their own words

Agent Dev Academy: Cohort 1

As a developer, it’s crucial to stay on top of the latest developments in technology. It’s how you future proof your income, stay current and solve the problems you encounter at work and personal projects in the most efficient way possible. Keeping up with the rapid pace of change often means you’ll be self-guiding through new topics you’re unfamiliar with.

One of these “new topics” is the collection of ideas and technologies that people have been calling “web3”. It’s a broad and diverse space, and it can be hard to know where to start. Here at [**Autonolas**](http://autonolas.network), we’re all in on building with and for web3, and we believe the best way to expand the potential of the space is to bring in as many talented folks as possible.

That’s why we wanted to share this roadmap. There’s lots of guides out there already, but these curated resources come recommended by our team — real engineers, researchers, programmers and product people working in the field now.

We hope you find it useful and invite you to  [**join our Discord**](https://bit.ly/33Zy1vj) if you have questions or want to connect. Let’s get into it!

### Step 0: What is web3?

First, let’s get some definitions down–web3 is a collection of technologies, concepts and design patterns. It’s a new way of thinking about products and software. Some of the concepts are familiar, and already exist in the current development landscape (web2). Some are quite different.

The primary backend difference is one of decentralization. In web2 systems, applications and services store their data on trusted servers. Access to that data is managed by the owner of the server. In Web3, that data is distributed, either across networks of peer-to-peer nodes, on a distributed ledger called a blockchain, or on both as a crypto-economic protocol. Participants are incentivized to provide the highest quality data with a financial reward — a token that can function as a tradable currency.

You could think of this as being like a governance layer that runs on top of the existing internet. This layer allows two users who don’t know each other to make and settle agreements over the web.

On the frontend, web3 is a lot like web2, but often more colorful, lighthearted and futuristic looking. In the future, web3 apps may need to tone down their quirky design choices and conceal the “under the hood” tech more, but for now there’s definitely more room for experimentation than you may be used to.

###  Step 1: Get Up and Running

You’ll want to get a solid foundation in some of the basic ideas and concepts. These resources will be the base on which you’ll build out your personal path.

[**An Engineer’s Hype-Free Observations on Web3 (and its Possibilities**](https://www.psl.com/feed-posts/web3-engineer-take)**)** This article comes from a group of engineers who explored web3. They make some great observations about the core concepts, and what they might mean for the future of the internet. Valory co-founder David Galindo says “I think this is good learning material for non-crypto software engineers.”

If that all sounds good to you, let’s go deeper.

If you’re totally new to blockchain [**here’s a fun interactive demo**](https://txstreet.com/) that demonstrates the concept visually.

[**Distributed Systems: a lecture series**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQP8WApzIQQ) comes recommended by Valory co-founder David Minarsch, who says it’s “Particularly interesting for engineers — but really for everyone”. Nice!

You’ll also want to understand how consensus systems work: we  [**recommend checking out this**.](https://softwareengineeringdaily.com/2018/03/26/consensus-systems-with-ethan-buchman/)

[**Nader Dabit**](https://www.youtube.com/naderdabit) has covered many of the most important concepts in web3 development in his videos. As you explore the space, [**check out his many playlists**](https://www.youtube.com/c/naderdabit/playlists) for helpful content.

Once you’re feeling good about what you’ve learned, you’ll want to choose a language(s) and ecosystem as your entry point. Luckily, many of the world’s most popular languages are used widely in web3. We’ll focus primarily on Python, since that’s what we’re using the most, but there’s many pathways you can take.

###  Step 2: More Specific Resources

**The Ethereum Ecosystem**

Ethereum is one of the largest blockchain ecosystems out there, and many dapps are built for, or on top of, Ethereum. A great place to start would be the official [**Intro to Ethereum**.](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/intro-to-ethereum/)

We can also recommend [**Mastering Ethereum by Andreas M. Antonopoulos and Gavin Wood**](https://github.com/ethereumbook/ethereumbook). This book is open source and can be read for free.

**Solidity**

Solidity is the primary language used for smart contracts on Ethereum.

[**CryptoZombies**](https://cryptozombies.io/) This interactive tutorial will teach you how to make smart contracts by creating your own game and comes recommended by David M.

[**Solidity By Example**](https://solidity-by-example.org/) does what it says on the tin: what you can do with Solidity, presented as simple examples.

[**Here’s a great thread**](https://twitter.com/0xcacti/status/1485079302601207810?s=12) that covers Solidity for people with a slightly higher level of experience in programming.

[**Here’s some**](https://twitter.com/m1guelpf/status/1479095668174065669?s=12) simple, intentionally limited versions of popular protocols and web3 apps — David M says this is “great for learning Solidity”.

**Python**

[**Solidity, Blockchain, and Smart Contract Course — Beginner to Expert Python Tutorial**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M576WGiDBdQ) For this course, you should have at least a beginner’s understanding of Python. It’s a full 16 hours! Team member Viraj says it’s “a good place to start. It covers the basics of smart contracts and web3py. This course is provided by chainlink and it also covers topics such as off-chain ecosystems and data oracles.”

Here’s the documentation for [**Python Brownie**](https://eth-brownie.readthedocs.io/en/stable/). Brownie is a Python framework for deploying smart contracts. This lighthearted but still informational [**video from Patrick Collins**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfFO22lwSw4) will help you get started. If you prefer to read, here’s  [**a blog post he’s created**.](https://codeburst.io/deploy-a-smart-contract-using-python-how-to-b62de0124b)

[**Web3.py**](https://web3py.readthedocs.io/en/stable/) This is a popular Python library for interacting with Ethereum.

[**Ethereum for Python Developers**](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/programming-languages/python/)  Here is the official guide from the Ethereum foundation on interacting with Ethereum using Python.

**Miscellaneous**

[**This thread**](https://twitter.com/wslyvh/status/1394329004790910989?s=20)  is a list of “starter kits”: boilerplates and frameworks you can use to build, mostly in Typescript and Javascript.

**Our Documentation and Quickstart Guides**

If you’d like to dive into what the [**Valory**](http://valory.xyz) team is building with Autonolas, start here: [**this blog post**](TK Link) outlines the vision, and how our open middleware layer will allow devs to go beyond the existing limitations of off-chain development to create the next generation of crypto-native apps.

To dive straight into Open Autonomy, our open-source framework for building agent services, [**head to the "Quick Start" section**](https://docs.autonolas.network/quick_start/) of the documentation. 

Next, we’ve set up quick start guides where you can try out one of the forked technologies that are a part of our stack, the [**open-aea framework**](https://valory-xyz.github.io/open-aea/). There’s a guide for  [**beginners**](http://quickstart)**,** [**intermediate**](https://valory-xyz.github.io/open-aea/step-one/) and  [**advanced**](https://valory-xyz.github.io/open-aea/generic-storage/) users.



### Step 3: Connect with Others

**Twitter**

You probably already know this, but it’s worth repeating: Twitter is huge for web3 projects, news and community building. If you want to get into this space, you have to be on Twitter. You’ll want to follow at least a few accounts that regularly post about the things you find most interesting.

Here’s some follows to get you started:

[**Nader Dabit**](https://twitter.com/dabit3)**,** [**Oliver Jumpertz**](https://twitter.com/oliverjumpertz)**,** [**Austin Griffith**](https://twitter.com/austingriffith)

[**Vitto Rivabella**](https://twitter.com/VittoStack)**,** [**Patrick Collins**](https://twitter.com/PatrickAlphaC)**,** [**Jack Forge**](https://twitter.com/TheJackForge)

[**Francesco Ciulla**](https://twitter.com/FrancescoCiull4)**,** [**T11S**](https://twitter.com/transmissions11)**,** [**Prasoon Pratham**](https://twitter.com/PrasoonPratham)

Of course, you should strike out on your own and find and follow some accounts that appeal to you specifically. If you see a good retweet, go check out the original account and drop them a follow. Don’t be shy about replying and asking questions, either — Crypto Twitter (“CT” for short) is a friendly bunch and this is a great way to learn and build connections.

**Discord**

Discord communities are huge in web3. It’s a good idea to join the Discord for any project or tool you find interesting, and you may also want to check out some of these communities for builders and developers:

[**Buildspace**](https://discord.com/invite/vPmqZqgpsS) has projects, resources and a strong community. There’s even an “intro” project for people looking for something entry level.

[**Developer DAO**](https://discord.com/invite/devdao)’s invites are currently closed, but it’s worth joining and following them on Twitter to know when they open up again.

[**CryptoDevHub**](https://discord.com/invite/x3ybcKbQC9) has resources and channels for all levels of devs.

[**Web3 University**](https://discord.gg/5BtywRcC4B) is one of the larger Discords in the space, with lots of resources and opportunities to learn and connect.

Be cautious with DMs on Discord — you may wish to [**adjust your privacy settings**](https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/217916488-Blocking-Privacy-Settings-) so only your friends can DM you. Scams and phishing attacks, sent as DMs from strangers, are unfortunately a well-known problem in Discord communities, so stay safe!

#### Step 4: Time to Build

Once you’re feeling familiar with the tech, get started on your own personal project. Make anything you like that shows off what you’ve learned, what you’re interested in and what makes your approach uniquely yours.

Share your work, and consider “[**building in public**](https://medium.com/swlh/building-in-public-a-guide-for-software-engineers-f3458df96dc4)” with regular updates as you go.

####  **Looking for a more structured pathway?**

![img02.png](/uploads/img02_183a3ade60.png)

If you’re already familiar with Python, you may be a good candidate for our **Autonolas Academy.** 

The Academy is a self-paced learning experience, with the option, on completion, to apply for a more intensive, cohort-based Builder Track. The program is designed to teach you everything you need to know to develop your own apps and services using our framework. You can [**get started with those materials here**](https://www.autonolas.network/academy).

There you have it: we hope these resources are helpful to you and that you enjoy your journey into web3! We also want to invite you to [**follow us on Twitter**](https://twitter.com/autonolas) and  [**join our Discord**](https://bit.ly/3Lqe8hV) to connect with a growing community of forward thinking and friendly developers, designers and builders. See you out there!


Learning resources curated by a real team currently heads-down in the space

Getting into Web3: A Guide for Developers

Today is a big day for us. These initial releases represent one of the biggest milestones in our story to date, and in this blog post, we’ll guide you through each of them and give you some context about what they mean, why they matter and how you can get involved.

This release enables a core part of our mission — starting today, you can build autonomous services for yourself and your projects using the full codebase we’ve been working on for the past ~6 months. This is relevant whether you are in a DAO, working as a solo developer or are just interested in a better way to do things off-chain. We’ve been working on this technology for quite a while now, and being able to open-source the code and documentation has always been one of the primary goals.

![img21.png](/uploads/img21_23e1717b40.png)

#### Introducing Open Autonomy

For the first time, the full power of Autonolas is available to anyone. This is Open Autonomy, our open-source framework for building autonomous services. This includes some of the applications we’ve already shared like [the oracle](https://autonolas.network/posts/11), meaning you’ll be able to re-use these ready-built components inside of your projects. That’s because Autonolas is designed with composability as a core principle. The Open Autonomy framework will allow you to build any kind of agent service you need and give you the tools and features necessary to connect it with the larger Autonolas ecosystem.

The full codebase is [accessible to you here](https://github.com/valory-xyz/open-autonomy).

We’ve also updated our [Open AEA Framework](https://github.com/valory-xyz/open-aea) to ensure everything works to its full potential. Open AEA is a core part of the stack which enables you to build the components and agents which make up autonomous services. As the custodians of the fork (more on that [here](https://medium.com/@ValoryAG/weve-hit-a-fork-in-the-road-456d0fa6e5ab)), we will be continuing to maintain and update Open AEA as necessary over the coming months and years. You can read the documentation for that [here](https://valory-xyz.github.io/open-aea/).

We’re also open sourcing our full Open Autonomy documentation, so you can learn exactly how the framework works in depth and get our best practices for developing with it. You can [read the documentation here](https://docs.autonolas.network).

By releasing Open Autonomy and its associated documentation, we hope that developers will take this exciting technology and run with it, enabling a full ecosystem of applications and composable components to grow and flourish. Going forward, we are also making ourselves available to help you–just [join our Discord](https://discord.gg/RHY6eJ35ar) and post your questions and we’ll be glad to guide you.

![img08.png](/uploads/img08_c35b6f1f18.png)

#### Academy v2

We’re proud to announce that we’re making it even easier to learn how to build autonomous apps and services with Autonolas. The Agent Dev Academy as it has existed so far has been a success for a certain type of participant, but not everyone has the time or experience level to jump straight into such an intensive learning pathway.

That’s why v2 offers self-guided learning that you can explore in your own time. When you’ve finished the materials, there’s an opportunity to complete a project that will help you determine if going further and joining a more intensive, builder-focused course would be a good fit. As always, these programs are free–your success is our success!

You can [get started here](https://autonolas.network/academy).

#### What next?

If you’re a developer, head to the [Getting Started](https://docs.autonolas.network/get_started/) section of the documentation and explore the framework for yourself. Whether you’re building on your own, or working through the Academy materials, we invite you to [join our Discord](https://discord.gg/RHY6eJ35ar) for help, to share your progress, or ask any question that comes up. We also invite and encourage you to post about, and share your journey with us.

Whether that’s on Twitter, in blog posts, or other kinds of content, we’ll be more than happy to share and amplify your successes and look for ways to connect you with others who could be relevant to you. We are always going to be on hand to help you troubleshoot, explore these new concepts and build your apps and services.

Want to build something deeper or partner with us? [Reach out to Business Development](mailto:bd@valory.xyz).

#### Who is this relevant for?

Any developer in web3, really! If you’ve got bots or scripts running off-chain, we think you’ll love what Autonolas enables you to do and build. If you’re ready to dive right in, [head to the documentation](https://docs.autonolas.network) and [access the codebase here](https://github.com/valory-xyz/open-autonomy). Interested in a learning pathway? Head over to the [new Academy materials here](https://autonolas.network/academy). As we’ve said, we’re also here to help you, so [join the Discord](https://discord.gg/RHY6eJ35ar) and [follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/autonolas) for all of the latest updates.

We can’t wait to see what you build!


Open-sourcing the codebase and documentation

Build your own Autonomous Services

_this is a guest post from Valory Software Engineer Ardian._

**Joining the Autonolas Academy**

In September of 2021, I heard about a new stack being built by the Valory team. When I investigated further, I learned that the stack would allow developers to build using multi-agent systems. At the time, I didn't know a lot about multi-agent systems, but it didn't take long for me to realize that this was something completely new that could address many of the core problems that web3 faces. 

This got me pretty excited, and I wanted to learn more. When I learned about the Autonolas Academy program, I decided to apply. I was accepted, and the Academy gave me an amazing opportunity to learn the stack, and get mentoring directly from the team developing it. 

**My Experience in the Academy**

I was a part of the very first Academy cohort. The Academy was a masterclass on the Valory stack specifically, and web3 in general. I already had some web3 experience before joining the Academy, but I learned a lot of new information about Ethereum and dApps from the Academy mentors.
 
Once the other Academy participants and I were introduced to the stack, we collectively decided that we would build one of the very first Autonolas-based services, and so the mighty [El Collectooorr](https://elcollectooorr.art/) was born. 

With the help of the Academy mentors, we were able to build the first version of El Collectooorr. The first version monitored the [Artblocks](https://artblocks.io/) NFT platform for new drops, and was designed to purchase NFTs that it deemed valuable.
 
As a developer, it was a great experience, I got to apply the cool stuff that I had learned about the Valory stack directly, and I received an in depth introduction to how NFTs work. 

**El Collectooorr Outside of the Academy**

When the first Academy cohort ended in January of 2022 I was still enjoying my time building El Collectooorr, so I decided to continue working on it. After brainstorming some ideas with the Autonolas team, we decided that what El Collectooorr was missing was a way for people to contribute to it. We decided that the best way to go forward would be with the addition of [Fractional Vaults](https://fractional.art/). This really consolidated the use case for El Collectooorr, as by using Fractional Vaults, people could fund El Collectooorr, and get fractional shares of the NFTs it purchased. After a few weekends and evenings of work, El Collectooorr was (and still is!) live.

**Other Opportunities**

The Valory stack allows developers to build with Python, but I really wanted to see how far I can take it using another language. I was playing around with Rust at the time, and since Rust is quite popular among web3 developers, I felt it would be a great experience to try and see if we could build something parallel to the Python version in Rust. The Autonolas team really supported this idea, and even offered me a grant to work on it. I got to work and was able to build a simple [buyer/seller demo](https://github.com/valory-xyz/open-aea-rust) for it.

**Joining Valory**

After working with the Valory stack for a while I was given the opportunity to join Valory. On the 1st of September I joined Valory full-time, and now I'm helping the team build the stack that I loved working with.  

Overall, my experience with the Academy program was quite positive–I was able to learn the Valory stack and an entirely new way of working in web3, bring a functional product to life, take my interests and apply them to a personal project and eventually, turn it all into a new full time position. 

I would encourage other developers interested in taking their web3 skills to the next level to check out the Academy for themselves. You can start learning at your own pace today, and apply for an upcoming cohort every 60 days. Check out [the program here](https://www.autonolas.network/academy) and join the [Autonolas Discord](https://discord.gg/RHY6eJ35ar) for support or to share your progress–see you there! 

	LEARN EDUCATION WHITEPAPER	BUILD DOCS ACADEMY COMMISSION US PROTOCOL REGISTRY	ABOUT BLOG PRESS TWITTER DISCORD GITHUB PRIVACY POLICY COOKIES POLICY DISCLAIMER PRESS KIT
COPYRIGHT 2023VALORY AG	JOIN CAREERS DISCORD	EXPERIENCE ALTER ORBIS

Become an Autonomous Developer

Keep up with Autonolas